- The number of ailing children residing in the care facility exceeds that of other regions.
It's been discovered that childcare workers in regions like Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia in Eastern Germany take sick days more frequently than staff in other professions. The average number of absent days due to illness for these workers was 33 days in Saxony, 34 days in Saxony-Anhalt, and 31.8 days in Thuringia, which is around ten days more than the national average for all professions. This information comes from data gathered by the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Expert Forum.
The overall sickness-related absences for childcare workers in Eastern Germany were higher, averaging 34 days, compared to 29 days in Western Germany. The national average for all professions in Germany was 30 days of absence due to illness.
The study also reported a 26% increase in sick days taken by childcare workers between 2021 and 2023, primarily due to mental health issues, but also due to respiratory ailments.
The Bertelsmann Foundation, which advises the Expert Forum, relied heavily on data from the DAK health insurance company, which covers 12.2% of childcare workers. The foundation mentioned that the trend was also observed in data from other health insurance companies.
Anett Stein, a childcare expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation, explained, "Many kindergartens are trapped in a vicious cycle: As the number of sick days increases, more specialists are absent, further increasing the workload for those who remain." To cover the absences due to illness, vacation, and training, the foundation estimates that approximately 97,000 additional full-time specialists are required nationwide, at a yearly cost of 5.8 billion euros.
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The high number of sick days taken by childcare workers in Eastern Germany might be attributed to the pressing concerns related to 'health and safety' in this sector. The increased absences, often due to mental health issues and respiratory ailments, are contributing to a workforce shortage.
To effectively address the issue of frequent absences in childcare, it is crucial to prioritize 'health and safety' measures and provide adequate support to workers, thus reducing the need for sick days and ensuring a more stable workforce.
